Successfully applying for Social Security disability benefits can seem like a scary prospect but it needn’t be that way if you know how the process works.

The initial stage of the Social Security Disability process involves filing your Social Security Disability application.  Then a full review of your initial claim is done.  It’s at this stage of the process that you will be providing the SSA with the necessary information to process your claim. The Social Security office will then send your file to be reviewed for approval or denial based on the information provided in your application.

You can file your application for Social Security Disability online at ssa.gov, over the phone or at your local Social Security office.

You will be asked to answer questions about your disability, your work history, and you will probably have to fill out a detailed Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire.  Our office can send you a questionnaire to work on and assist you with your application and these forms.

The appointment(s) to do this are completely FREE.

When applying for disability benefits, you will be required to provide the Social Security office with certain personal information.

Some of the things you want are the following:

• Your social security number
• Your birth or baptismal certificate
• Contact information for your doctors and the dates of your visits
• The names and dosages of the medications you are taking
• The names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers of your dependents

It is useful to have this ready when completing your application. Our questionnaire and that free appointment can help a lot in making sure you do provide all that the Social Security office needs.

Once you have submitted your application, the Social Security office will decide whether you have worked enough to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits.  It will also decide whether your current employment status disqualifies you from receiving disability benefits. We can help by advising you about these criteria – and how to meet them if possible.

If you meet the necessary criteria, the Social Security office will send your application to the Disability Determination Services department to be reviewed. Disability Determination Services (part of the State government who contract with SSA) will then decide whether or not your claim is approved.

This process (initial application stage) usually takes 90 to 120 days once the application is submitted.